A Pirate's Life 4: The Sparrow's Nest
by history101
Summary: Takes place after 'Visit to Tortuga'. Jack finds a message from his father left in the 'Faithful Bride' tavern on his latest visit to Tortuga asking him to return to Shipwreck cove...to their family home. Surely Captain Teague has an ulterior motive but as it's almost New Years, could it be for a simpler reason? Storms and family problems ensue.
1. Prologue

**A Pirate's Life 4: The Sparrow's Nest**

Prologue

* * *

It was a cool, quiet night on the Caribbean sea; the gleaming stars shone above the masts, there was not a cloud in the sky and the sea was as calm as ever it could be. With the moon illuminating the way it was a beautiful night as a large but elegant galleon ship flew across the waves, it's keel slicing through the sea with ease and grace. It's sails were dirty black and the ship itself was made of wood to match.

The ship had legends and myths aplenty, some spoke of curses, devils and shadows, others told of warm winds that favoured the ship and her captain so much that even the King's navy would have a hard time taming her.

The 'Black Pearl', known for her legendary speed that only Captain Sparrow could coax from her sails, was described as 'nigh uncatchable'.

During the day ships - navy and pirate alike, feared the catch the eye of her fortunate captain even when she could be seen. But at night the 'Pearl' appeared from the dark mist often sea like a phantom and devoured her prey whole.

Captain Jack Sparrow himself was stood at the helm of his beloved vessel, his pride and joy, his dark lady and second love only to the sea itself, with a contented smile.

His dark hair braided with beads, trinkets and dreadlocks was weakly tossed to and fro by the breeze, with the ends of his red bandana fluttering behind him. The long, ragged tails of his grey justacorps coat fluttered round his trouser clad legs and tatty boots. Jack's much loved hat was perched crookedly on his head above his deep black eyes.

Few men in this life could lay claim to true happiness, or even contentment, but the captain believed that he was one of them. He had his ship, he had the open sea, a decent - if slightly crazy crew, a supply of rum and plenty of ships to plunder. What else could a man want for? Well...nothing that a night or two in Tortuga couldn't provide that was for sure.

Jack looked out as he watched his crew sing drunken chanties, drink rum and gamble on the deck. He revelled in hearing them sing his favourite song, 'A pirate's life' he was honestly grateful to Elizabeth for teaching it to him even if she had sung it reluctantly...and then drunkenly. (*1)

They had a fair wind behind them but Jack had no real destination in mind, they were merely sailing with the wind and looting whatever came their way. He suddenly heard uneven footstep and a quiet 'sloshing' accompanying it, then a deep voice spoke.

"...fer the rest, yo ho ho, and a bottle 'er rum..." he heard Gibbs drunkenly mutter from behind him. Jack turned to see his first mate drink from a bottle and walk to stand beside him.

But within two seconds Gibbs was frowning and holding the rum bottle upside down, having difficulty in his drunken state to comprehend that it was in fact, now devoid of rum. "Rum's gone, cap'n," he muttered and tossed the bottle aside. Gibbs then proceeded to search his pockets for his small flask but soon found that it was also empty. "Why's 't always rum's gone?" the man muttered and Jack gave him an understanding smile.

"That's why, mate," Jack replied as he watched his first mate and friend grab onto the railings for support.

"Aye...I reckon so..." the man nodded.

From the deck they could hear Marty the midget play a flute he had recently finished carving along to another recherché sea chantey, as the rest of the crew sang or clapped along to the beat. Many of them were waving mugs or bottles of rum as well, and Anamaria, clearly three sheets to the wind was dancing round and round with the mute Cotton. The man was smiling as his parrot continued to repeat; 'Pass the rum! *squawk* Pass the rum!'

Pintel and Ragetti were, at present fighting over a small violin that they had found on board a ship they had raided recently. For some reason it had stayed aboard and many of the crew had tried, and failed to play it correctly. But it provided entertainment on drunken nights such as this, so Jack had let the men keep it.

"Yers doin' 't wrong!" the scrawny Ragetti yelled as Pintel made loud, searching sounds with the bow.

"Like yer know any better!" his uncle, Pintel shouted back and the crew began to laugh.

"I do, I sees 'em rich people plays one a' a party once, and they weren't holdin' it like tha'. Didn't make them noises neither!"

"When've you ever been a rich people party?" Anamaria demanded with a drunken slur, as she and Cotton sat down on the deck. They we joined by Mullroy and Murtogg who were laughing at the men trying to play the instrument.

"Raided one," the man replied and the crew burst into loud laughter again while Anamaria tossed her mug at Ragetti with a grin.

"'S bad luck...sailin' wi' women, cap'n," Gibbs repeated to Jack for the hundredth time, but Jack had stopped counting. Ever since had known the sailor he had been a superstitious man, and the captain found it amusing rather than annoying.

Jack said nothing though as e turned back to the open ocean, it has his first and only love; the sea. Of course he couldn't remember it, but his father had always claimed that Jack had been born at sea during a typhoon on the Indian ocean. His old man had said that it was that fact that had made a young Jack fall in love with the sea even before he understood why he loved it so.

Captain Teague used to tell him; 'Yer were born at sea, yer'll live at sea, and yer'll die at sea.' The last part was obviously not a comforting thought, but dying in general was not something Jack wanted to dwell on. And the man had been right so far it seemed. Jack couldn't seem to stay on land for long, he constantly craved the open ocean, he had done for as long he could remember.

And now that he had his precious 'Pearl' back he could go where he pleased, he was free again. It was far more than the East India Trading Company or even the crown could offer him. True freedom, to be free from the invisible constraints of society and of the painful shackles of its prisons was all he wanted.

...Well that and rum...and his ship...and salty wenches...but mainly freedom...mostly freedom, anyway.

...And speaking of rum their supplies were extremely decimated, used up in the build up to the New Year celebrations. He'd mutiny on himself the day his ship ran dry...so it seemed that a they had a need to make port.

"Mr Gibbs," Jack said with a grin.

"A...aye, cap'n," the first mate muttered as he stood and swayed on his feet.

"I notice tha' we are in dire need of rum, therefore, being, as I am, a good pirate captain no' in need of a mutiny, I have decided to listen to reason an' make port ter that' bounteous and beneficent bouquet of all black hearts," Jack said and Gibbs squinted at his captain. The man tried in vain to see through the haze created by an excess of rum, to decipher Jack's meaning. "Set course for Tortuga, Gibbs," Jack added and the man nodded.

"Aye," Gibbs nodded with enthusiasm and walked off to the crew, shouting orders as he went.

Jack grinned as he watched the drunken crew cheer and toss their hats and mugs in enthusiasm. Those that were least drunk climbed the rigging while others merely collapsed on the deck in drunken stupors as the ever moving stars above continued to smile serenely down on the 'Pearl'.

* * *

(*1) Here, my good scallywags, I refer to one of many insightful scenes which were, unfortunately, not included in the movie. If you haven't seen the deleted scenes I advise you go to YouTube now and do so! Go now! What are you waiting for?

* * *

A.N. Don't forget to review and let me know your thoughts!


	2. The Letter

**A Pirate's Life 4: The Sparrow's Nest**

Chapter 1: The Letter

* * *

It didn't take long before the 'Black Pearl' was docking at Tortuga in the early hours of the morning. A few of the ships' crew were nursing violent hangovers but most seemed to take it in their stride. After all, what kind of pirate couldn't hold his rum?

Jack dispensed some of the men to find supplies, others stayed with the ship and some went to the 'Faithful Bride', the captain's choice of tavern.

The captain, himself of course, sauntered into said tavern and breathed in the air, it smelt of stale alcohol, dirt and less than desirable bodily fluids, but it was a haven of rum, women and gambling. He walked up to the bar and flashed his usual cokcy grin to the familiar face of Janet the bar maid.

"Sparrow, yer go' a letter," she told him before he could ask for rum. She handed him a small envelope from her girdle with a wink and carried on wiping the bar with an already dirty rag.

Jack stared down at the envelope and saw that it was sealed with red wax and an insignia of a cross. It was what his father always used and even had hanging in his hair. The very name 'Teague' typically referred to an Irish-speaking Catholic, well known throughout the Empire as a trouble-maker. He always found his father's choice of name to be nothing short of ironic.

Jack nodded to the young woman and left his crew in the bar as he pushed and nudged his way though to the back room. He pushed aside drunken men, prostitutes and small children to wrench open the huge oak door and slammed t shit behind him.

The back room was always open to the 'regulars' and since the landlady was fond of Jack and his father, the room was always open to him. It was a dank room with walls and furniture made of dark, dirty wood, and floors that were blanketed with mismatching rugs and carpets. None of the furniture matched and all of it was worn to the extreme. Tables and chairs, cupboards and boxes were scattered about the place while the stone fireplace blazed with a roaring long fire.

Jack then took up a seat by the fire, ripped open the envelope and unfolded the paper, on which he instantly recognised his father's elaborate handwriting.

_Jackie,_

_ I know you was never one for family, but I have a long standing wish for you to bring the 'Pearl' to the cove again. I left this with Janet around mid November and I hope you get it before the new year comes. She's trustworthy enough and I know how much you love the 'Bride'._

_Humour your old man, boy, bring your crew to the manor, your family ain't that bad. Even your old grandma misses you, you know she doesn't mean half of what she says._

_The cove awaits,_

_ Captain Edward Teague._

For a minute Jack only stared down at the words as he re-read them again and again until he had them memorised. He could literally hear the sarcasm in his father's voice as he read the words through. But it still made no sense. Why would his father ask him to come home? Why was the new year mentioned? And since when did his old grandmother 'miss' him?

More importantly; what would he do about the letter? Should he go or not? He respected his father and the man wouldn't take kindly to being ignored if Jack decided not to go.

But if he did go he'd have to endure the old woman's company and her mad cousin who thought she had the 'sight'. Both of them detested Jack and criticised everything he did, when he was a child his 'grandmama' had almost beat him to death three times, but according to Teague, her son, this was a sign of her affection.

His mad uncle 'Ace' Brannigan, he didn't mind, the man was a push over and bad often been the source of misplaced aggression for the children in the cove. But he was a good man and a good pirate.

And 'Quick Draw' McFleming was a member of the Sparrow family that Jack actually loved, she had always used to assault old grandmama by throwing rum tankards at the old trout. His aunt was always a laugh. Her children, however were not, the 'little cousins' as Jack had called them had been unpleasant and irritating. He hoped and prayed that they wouldn't be there.

His cousin Valerie was just as bad, he had been jealous of her as a child because his father's showed her more respect than him. It seemed silly, but children always look to their parents for respect and love. Even if they were black hearted pirates.

And now with his mother dead his father was the only parent he had left. Teague was the best of a bad lot, despite his flaws he had always been there for Jack, he'd tracked his wayward son across the globe when he'd run away merely to tell the boy that he would always help him whenever he could.

He'd left the crew orders to be back to the ship by sun up so he'd wait around till then, Jack was in no hurry to reunite with his family. There was more than one reason he'd ran away from home after all.

Jack pocketed the letter and walked back into the main room, he wasn't in the mood to celebrate now, the idea of his family all in one place...with him there as well...had put a damper on his good spirits. He picked up a bottle of rum from a table on which the men were all passed out drunk and left the tavern. He saw Janet look over at him in confusion, since he'd never been in and out of the place so quickly, but it didn't matter. He'd see her again.

The dimly lit streets were full of people either passed out against the buildings or ladies of the night entertaining their customers. Jack smirked as he continued to drain the rum from the bottle he'd swiped. He made his way silently down the side alleys and and hidden passageways and through rotting gates and doorways deep within the heart of the city.

Despite the fact that he was soon feeling warm and sated from the rum Jack repeated the words from the letter again and again. It would be interesting to return to the cove again...but he'd more than likely end up regretting it when the old woman opened her mouth.

Soon he was repeating the words aloud as he pushed aside fallen debris and rubbish from street fights and dilapidated buildings in serious need of repair.

"Don't go..." he heard a voice say from his right shoulder.

"Come again?" Jack muttered and looked down at the small version of himself that had taken residence on his shoulder.

"Do go..." a similar voice from his left shoulder added.

"Why?" Jack asked himself and came to a stop in the middle of the alleyway.

"Family reunion's always a bad idea, mate," the left Jack said as he clung to one of the long dreadlocks from Jack's head.

"'E's go' a point," Jack agreed nodding his head and the two imaginary Jack's had to hold on to his hair to keep themselves from falling off.

"Yer know yer the best pirate in th' family, the old wench probably can't even stand upright any more," the Jack on the right said.

"'E's go' a point too," Jack nodded again and drank more rum. He then walked further down the alleyway and ignored any further comments made by the hallucinations of himself that resided on his shoulders, he wasn't mad - they were.

As he approached the docks he tossed the now empty rum bottle into the sea and observed the other ships moored there. Many were large galleons like the 'Pearl' but none were quite as elegant, as proud or as beautiful. One had a skeleton for a figure head, an ugly repulsive thing it was too. When compared with the beautiful, dark angel of the 'Pearl' it scurried away in shame. His dark ship was headed by the angel that protected its ship, and her captain.

Truly no other ship held a candle to the 'Pearl', for she was one of a kind, there'd never be another like her. Even the 'Dutchman', though capable of submersion, great speed and power like the 'Pearl' it just wasn't the same. Jack was almost ashamed that he'd thought about trading his lady in for immortality...almost. Was a lifetime with the 'Pearl' truly worth more to him than immortality?

If he found the fountain he wouldn't have to choose. And he would find it...one day. The map was safely hidden in his cabin where no one, not even Barbossa knew where to look for it. The man would probably come looking for it eventually, it he'd never find it. The traitorous mutineer!

Jack heard a scurrying on footsteps and a gun being made ready as he walked up the gangplank to his ship. It was Anamaria, despite the amount of rum the woman had consumed recently she was remarkably steady on her feet as she pointed the riffle at him.

"Jack, weren't expectin' yer back so soon," she said she she lowered the weapon. As of recently Elizabeth and young Will would stay with her to guard the ship, but the Pirate King had disembarked with her son several months ago in England. She said she wanted to show her son their home country so Jack had tracked down Capitaine Chevalle and they had left on his ship the 'Fancy'. That was the last he'd seen of them for 7 months.

"Tha's captain Jack, luv," Jack said to Anamaria, quietly stepping onto the deck. He smiled as he surveyed his ship, which at present was devoid of anyone except him and Anamaria his, for all intents and purposes, quartermaster / second first mate. "See to it tha' everyone's back by sun rise," he told her and made his way to his cabin.

"Any reason why?" she called after him.

"We 'ave a need ter travel up river," Jack replied with a grin and closed the doors behind him leaving her alone on the deck. Anamaria only sighed, shook her head, and continued her long vigilance.

Once alone Jack locked the door shut, threw of his beloved hat and ratty coat then tossed the letter and his compass onto his desk. He took out his maps and laid them out across the scratched surface of the old desk of the ship. Then he began charting a course to the cove, it was difficult as he wasn't sure whether he wanted to go or not and the compass knew this...somehow.

Before long the two bottles of rum that had mysteriously appeared on his desk were emptied and Jack was definitely feeling the effects. It was getting gradually lighter outside and the light was streaming through the murky windows behind him. Maybe if he just let his eyes rest for a minute...everything would clear again...so he rested his head on the map and was soon lost in strange dreams of his childhood.


	3. Setting Sail Again

**A Pirate's Life 4: The Sparrow's Nest**

Chapter 2: Setting Sail Again

* * *

Memories of a young boy with black hair running across a white, sandy beach with a cutlass in hand flashed through Jack's mind. The boy was tanned a light bronze and his dark eyes were deep and mesmerising. His arms were clear of all tattoos and scaring that would be there in later years and his hair was not yet long enough to be braided.

He was alone on the beach but he was staring out longingly at the ships docked not far away. The sea was a beautiful blue, the sun was shining in the cloudless sky and the boys' clothes and red bandana fluttered in the light breeze. The calm ocean waves were caressing the hulls of the giant ships. The ships of his family...how he envied them. The adults of his family were some of the most infamous and legendary pirates of the age.

And he too wanted to see the world, he wanted to sail the seas, he wanted to live without rules and constraints just as his family did. He wanted a ship of his own, a ship that surpassed all others...

"...Jack..." a far away voice said through the dream.

...and one day he would captain the best ship to ever sail the seas. He would be the most feared pirate that ever lived...one day he would...

"Jack...cap'n...wake up lad..." Jack heard the deep voice penetrate his dreams once more and then the image of himself as a young boy in the cove faded away.

"...Wha's i'?" Jack muttered as he sat back against his chair. Of course his back felt stiff and sore from sleeping again the desk as he had so he groaned as he moved his aching muscles.

"Everyone's accounted for, cap'n, we're ready ter cast off," Gibbs said as Jack stood up slowly, stretching his aching muscles.

"...'Eh?" the captain muttered confused. Jack turned round to the windows and saw that it the sun had risen and that it was indeed morning. He heard the seagulls calling from the sky and the sound of the waves lashing against the ship.

"D'we 'ave a headin', cap'n?" his first mate and long time friend asked him.

"...aye..." Jack said quietly and quickly debated about going to the cove or not. What did he have to lose really? "Shipwreck Cove, mate," he told Gibbs who regarded him with confusion.

"The cove?" he repeated with a frown.

"Aye," Jack nodded simply.

"But, cap'n...I don't..." Gibbs began warily but Jack was not interested in listening just yet.

"Who's cap'n o' this ship? Me, tha's who. An' the cap'n o' the ship wants ter go ter the cove, so we're goin' ter the cove. Now get, go on..." Jack replied making 'shooing' gestures with his hands then he put on his hat.

Gibbs sighed, "Aye, cap'n," he said and left the cabin. Jack left the maps and equipment in disarray, not bothering to tidy them up, he also pulled on his coat and followed Gibbs out onto the deck.

The first rays of the morning shone down on the 'Pearl' and made the wood shine with power and pride. Jack saw that the crew were already readying the ship to leave on Gibbs' orders and he walked to stand at the helm. Anamaria gave control of the ship to him and watched as they sailed away from the port.

Jack watched as the shore grew smaller and smaller and soon there was nothing but open sea on all sides. With the tranquil waves beneath them the captain found his thoughts drifting back to his dreams...he hadn't dreamt about his childhood in a very long time. Some things were best left forgotten.

"Wonder 'ow the kids' gettin' on?" Anamaria said after a while and Jack frowned as her voice jolted him awake.

"...Kid?" he repeated as he shook his head to banish the memories of a young, happy boy to the depths of his mind.

"Aye kid, Jack, kid...little Will," she replied and he turned to see her smile.

"Oh, kiiiiid..." Jack realised and he stressed the word, then turned back to the sea.

"Yer couldn't 've took 'em ter England ye know," she added and wound her arms round his neck and shoulders as he held the wheel. "Ter many navy men after her 'ead...an' th' 'Pearl'."

"I know 'at," Jack said with a deepening frown. Why had she said that?

"Yer sure?" she asked as she rested her head on his right shoulder. He upturned his head to stare at her and pondered her suddenly tender nature. It was a side to the woman that came and then left very quickly. She was a pirate after all.

"Aye," Jack replied with a nod which she returned.

"S' why're we 'eaded fer the cove, anyway, Jack?" she asked him noticing that he wanted her to either leave or change the subject. But when he didn't answer her the angry Anamaria returned and she stood back from him, retracting her arms she glared at him. "Jack..."

"Captain...captain Jack! Is i' really so 'ard ter remember tha' one little word?" he snapped.

"I'll remember it if yer tell me why we're goin' ter the cove," Anamaria added with similar indignation.

"Yer captain's presence 'as been requested by another captain wha' 'appends ter live in th' cove who may or may no' 'ave raised this other captain in the cove," Jack replied with his usual air of confusing confidence.

"...Yer dad...Teague?" she asked after a second. It was fairly common knowledge to those who knew Jack personally that his father was Captain Teague, Anamaria had been told by Gibbs recently but it had still shocked her to learn it.

"Aye," he nodded. Jack took his compass from his belts and once more frowned as the needle spun round and round in an erratic circle. Clearly he still didn't know what he wanted. Snapping it shut in frustration he left it hanging from his belts again.

Gibbs soon joined them on the quarterdeck and passed around his flask of rum which Jack seemed reluctant to pass on to Ana.

As the day wore on they passed no other ships which wasn't a surprise since Jack had planned their route to take them as far away from trade routes as possible so that he had peace and quiet to think. But in a way he was also rather disappointed as a passing ship to plunder would have provided a good distraction.

Being 'summoned' by his father could only bring him misfortune and yet Jack found himself heading for the cove without actually putting up much of a fight. Could the old man really boast so much influence over him, Captain Jack Sparrow, even as a man? It was a very unsatisfactory thought.

As the day wore on Jack remained pensive and slightly morose despite Gibbs' and Anamaria's attempts to speak with him. The crew could even see that their captain was acting stranger than was typically normal for the man and they weren't the most intelligent people in the world. But they knew Jack, and despite his madness and his many flaws he was a good captain, a fair and decent man too.

"Cap'n's actin' strange," Ragetti murmured to his uncle Pintel as they stood side by side at the railings securing the rigging against the wind.

"Cap'n's always actin' strange," the man replied as he glanced quickly over to said captain.

"I knows tha', wha's I means though is 'e's actin' stranger than wha's normal," the scrawny, tanned man corrected. "Maybe we's ain't goin' ter the Cove fer no good reason..."

"Wha're you then, an 'ead doctor? Yer leaves well enough alone, yer 'ear me, else it'll be our necks," Pintel replied and that was the end of that conversation.

Gibbs and Anamaria were especially concerned and they were hiding below deck on pretext of getting more rum as they shared an anxious look.

"...Then how'd we know the man ain't up ter nofin'?" Anamaria muttered quietly, "He's never asked Jack ter go ter the cove before...'as he?"

"Yer don't know him, Ana, trust me, he cares 'bout Jack, it don't 'ave ter be anything suspicious. Jack's been back there before, an' his ol' man's always been there fer him," Gibbs replied as he found more rum bottles.

She merely nodded as she followed the man back onto the deck. She was resolved to keep a weather eye out for all of them just in case, because Jack had the worst luck when it came to attracting trouble like a magnet. Joining the rest on the crew on deck she saw that the sky was beginning to darken as dusk set in.

Anamaria was aloft in the shrouds when the thunder first clapped from above, she felt the first raindrops spill down her face and drip from her chin and onto her neck. She looked skyward to see the gathering rain clouds which let loose more small droplets of gentle rain. It would provide a good store of fresh water to drink and bathe with in their rain barrels; always a redeemable feature of rain at sea.

Jack however wasn't as optimistic, he felt the 'Pearl' begin to rock and sway with increasing uncertainty above the waves. A storm was about to hit, he could feel it. He could feel the aggression in the sea, the violence in the wind and the rain. There was no thunder without a storm at sea.

From above the crew could hear the quiet rumbling sounds grow increasingly louder until the sky itself was roaring down in anger at the 'Pearl'. The clouds accumulated as the rain fell with more intensity and with such force that they resembled tiny needles when they collided with skin. It lashed against the sails and the deck of the ship like the cat-o-nine-tails on a man's back.

Before long it became clear that the wind was only increasing and the rigging was beginning to groan in protest. Jack was proven right in his fear as the sails were tossed violently in the wind and the ship rocked and tipped from left and right, starboard and port.

"Drop canvas!" Jack shouted across the rain as he felt the winds pick up speed and intensity. Too much and it would force the sails clean off the ship, it could snap the masts and leave them dead in the water.

He had pushed the 'Pearl' as far as he was willing in this weather and now it was time to ease off. His ship was strong but even his beloved had limits in the vile intensity of this storm, and he could sense that it would only get worse. "All hands trim sail! Move it yer lazy bilge-rats!" he bellowed.

Just then a wave larger than the main mast doubled or even trebled, swept against the 'Pearl' and danced violently across her deck. The crew were forced to cling onto the rails and the rigging to keep from being dragged away into the sea. For the chances of life once pulled into a story sea were extremely slim indeed.

Jack, himself, despite his best efforts was swept across the quarterdeck and slammed into the mast. He collided with the hard wood full force on his right side as the last of the water escaped over the rails. He heard a 'crack' or a 'snap' but he wasn't sure if it was the ship or him making it.

The force of the collision was enough to render the captain weakened, added to the fact that he had struck an old wound on his right side and he was seeing stars.

"Bugger..." he muttered to himself as he forced himself up and back over to the wheel which was now spinning fast and out of control. Jack gripped the spokes ignoring the pain in his chest and now in his bruised hands as he attempted to regain some semblance of control.

He managed to get the wheel under control and his muscles protested from the effort required to keep it that way.

Throughout the storm Jack remained at the wheel, he was focused on getting through the storm. Usually a good storm would cheer him up, but since his shoulder was in agony, this one did not make his list of best ever storms. He was sure he felt warm, sticky blood trickling down his chest and arm but he ignored it. It wasn't important.

The storm lasted for hours, as storms were wont to do, but miraculously no one fell overboard and the sails were hardly damaged. Gibbs walked around the deck to survey the damaged and was happily informed that it wasn't bad. They'd had far, far worse.

As the first mate began climbing up to the quaterdeck he could see Jack still at the wheel, the man looked worse for ware; his long hair, along with the rest of him, was dripping wet and his hat had fallen of during the storm. "Jack," he began but as the captains eyes turned towards him Gibbs saw exhaustion and pain.

"...Hit the ruddy mast, didn' I?" the captain muttered as he clutched his right shoulder with his left hand while holding the wheel with his right.

Gibbs glanced curiously at the man's shoulder which appeared to be giving him trouble when he remembered the twin bullet wounds that the captain bore there. He remembered a much younger Jack regaling him of a tale involving angry heathen gods and enchanted bullets, but the real explanation for them was of course, far more mundane.

He moved slowly closer to the captain who's eyes were washed clean of the black kohl and were looking increasingly exhausted. "Cap'n...maybe yer shoul'..."

"'M fine, Gibbs," Jack muttered. He didn't want to be seen showing weakness, he was a pirate captain and to suggest weakness could induce mutiny. Like showing benevolence and loyalty had done to him in the past; all were signs of a weak captain. But he couldn't seem to be rid the hose particular traits, his famous notion of being a good man and a pirate would be met by many with a bullet...or a marooning.

But despite Jack's best efforts his vision began to cloud and the sounds of the sea were muted. He thought he heard a quiet voice calling his name, but he couldn't swear to it. The captain clutched the wheel for support as he tried to remain standing but he felt his knees shake and hit the deck...then he knew he was fighting a losing battle.


	4. Land Ho!

**A Pirate's Life 4: The Sparrow's Nest**

Chapter 3: Land Ho!

* * *

Once again Jack was seeing images of his childhood. Flashes and fragments of a little boy surrounded by pirates and their magnificent ships. A little boy sitting reading the _Pirata Codex_ with his father by candle light in the dead of night. And that same little boy shouting back at his grandmother.

"Val's more a pirate than yer'll ever be!" the old woman shouted and the man beside her nodded. The boy's father was a good man but occasionally he would express disappointment in his son at the fact that his older cousin Valerie was a better pirate. Young Jack knew that his father respected Val and not him, and it had always been a competition in their family. To be the best pirate. It was the source of many, if not all arguments and fights in their household.

As Jack grew up he fought more and more with his grandmother, the woman who used to beat him as a child, as to who was the best.

"I was the youngest and the prettiest pirate e'er to join the Brethren Court, yer feculent maggot!" she would shout at the boy whom many referred to as 'Teague's whelp'.

And after Jack became Pirate Lord of the Caribbean after his fathers' retirement to Keeper he would shout; "The hell yer are, yer wrinkled old prune! I'm the youngest pirate lord...an' I'm prettier than you!"

She would tell him of Morgan and Bartholomew and of the meetings of the Second Brethren Court, and he would retaliate with tales of mermaids and sunken treasure. She would hurl knives at him and he would throw them back, their shouting matches were infamous in the cove and whenever he returned, they would be again.

Jack could feel the light burrowing through his eyelids but he wanted to sleep, he didn't want to wake up. But the bright light just wouldn't go away so he pried open his eyes and immediately saw the familiar, dark ceiling of his cabin.

He was lying in his bed onboard the 'Pearl' with the numerous covers draped over him. Turning his head slightly he glanced out of the murky windows of his cabin. It was pitch black outside. How long had been been asleep for? Hand the been at the helm earlier? How had he gotten from the helm to his cabin?

...And why was his shoulder aching so much?

Oh, right...the storm...the mast...Gibbs! He'd been talking to Gibbs and then...and then...

"Ahhhhh...bugger!" Jack muttered as he tried to sit up. He went to to move his shirt aside to examine the wound but saw that someone had already taken it off for him. His right shoulder was bandaged as well and he definitely didn't feel as dirty as had done before the storm. He'd expected to be covered in salt from the sea water in the storm, but he wasn't. Someone had washed him down and cleaned his wound.

The bandage showed a little blood had soaked through but that wound had been scabbed over for years; his collision with the mast must have reopened it. Which would explain why he felt so terrible. That had been one of his worst wounds...and he'd had some vile, fatal wounds but somehow he always survived. But he was Captain Jack Sparrow; he always survived.

It took him a while but he was able to sit up and locate his shirt, it had been left hanging over a chair with his waistcoat. His hat had been found and it was lying on his desk while his coat and effects were hanging from crooked nails in the walls. There was a single candle light on his desk and he noticed too that his maps had been cleared away.

Slowly he stumbled across to pick up his shirt and gently he lowered it over his head and with great difficulty he tucked it into his trousers. It was even more difficult to pull on his boots as he had to sit down again and then stand back up again.

Using his right arm as little as possible he tied his sash and belts round his waist and then pushed open the door onto the deck. The crew were lounging around on the deck and Jack saw that the ship was in perfect condition, whatever damage had been done by the storm must have been repaired while he was asleep.

Anamaria was at the helm talking quietly to Gibbs who was leaning against the rails and drinking from his flask beside her. Jack's back still ached a little but not nearly as much as his shoulder did, so he climbed the stairs and made his way up to the wheel.

"How long was I..."Jack began but his quartermaster cut across him.

"Two days," Anamaria answered stoically, "We had to clean your wound, you'd pulled it open, yer daft scallywag."

Gibbs gave him an unusually gentle clap on the back - the left side of course, and handed the captain his flask. Jack drank from it with a satisfied look and then turned to the open sea.

"Still on course?" he asked as he handed the flask back to Gibbs.

"Aye, cap'n," the man nodded, putting away his flask, "Storm put us off 'bout a half a day, but the 'Pearl's' speed set us straigh' again 'fore long. 'B there soon, I reckon." Jack nodded and ran his hand down the same mast that had agitated his old wounds.

His girl hadn't meant to him, it had been an accident and if he'd held on closer to the wheel it might never have happened. He moved to take said wheel from Anamaria who only glanced at him with light worry evident in her eyes. After a confident look from Jack she relented and moved aside, she knew how much he loved the ship, perhaps a few hours at the helm would help lighten his mood.

Although most captains didn't spend as much time at the helm as Jack did she understood why he chose to break the tradition. And fortunately the sea was calm and the wind was fair so they shouldn't have any more problems.

"Land ho!" Marty called from the crow's nest not long after Jack took control of the ship. And it was a good thing he had since he knew the perilous waters surrounding Shipwreck cove better than anyone else onboard the 'Pearl'. Even with a delicate right shoulder he was able to steer the ship safely with the aid of his crew.

"Steady as she goes!" he shouted.

"Rocks off the starboard bow!" Anamaria shouted from the bowsprit, she had run over to the front of the ship with Mullroy and Murtogg standing beside her. They were forced to take in sail to keep a slow speed but the 'Black Pearl' made her way safely past the rotting ships that had sunk agains the jagged rocks pointing up from the sea bed.

Jack turned the ship accordingly and they drew ever closer to the shore, but he then steered the 'Pearl' not to the extensive harbour used for the Brethren Court but to a hidden cave lurking behind a waterfall.

The 'Pearl' sailed under the rushing water which skimmed over the masts and down onto the deck. The crew looked up and saw that the mouth of the car was small, but spacious enough for several large ships to make port. Small water droplets fell down from the cave and the wind echoed off the rocks.

The crew saw a second ship in the cave, it was Teague's ship the 'Troubadour' a large galleon like the 'Pearl' with her age and wear showing through. Teague's ship often spent more time docked at the cove than at sea as her captain was now more of a 'sit at home' pirate than his son. There were men aboard her and the lanterns were lit which helped to illuminate the cave.

"Jack!" one of the men shouted and waved across from the 'Troubadour'. Jack looked across and saw Tom and Marty on the deck and he nodded with a smile to them.

Once the 'Pearl' was safely moored several men from Teague's men came aboard to join the crew staying behind to keep watch. Jack instantly retreated to his cabin while the crew talked loudly on deck.

Anamaria quickly followed him and as Jack took up his hat from the desk she lifted his coat from where it hung on the wall and carried it across to him. She helped him into his waistcoat and then his justacorps coat, he then added his sword belt and his pistols. As soon as his image of the 'grand captain' was complete they left the cabin and walked down onto the docks.

The opposite exit of the cave was illuminated by wooden torches and lanterns hanging on the walls. Jack, accompanied by the principal members of his crew; Anamaria, Gibbs, Cotton and his parrot, Marty, Pintel and Ragetti, and Mullroy and Murtogg, made their was down the long tunnel out of the cave.

They came out of the cave soon and instantly saw a large old manor house, it was once probably a stately home, but now it was in ruins. It looked barely habitable but clearly there were people living in it as there were lights behind several window curtains.

The walls were crumbling and the window ledges and door frames were pealing at the sides. The whole building was made of grey stone which had grown dirty over the years and the greenery around it had long since past the point of being out of control.

Jack pushed open the once grand front doors without knocking and they were suddenly greeted by four huge black Labradors barking loudly and angrily at the crew. Until that is, Jack stepped forwards and knelt down to pet them and he smiled at the animals which turned from savage guard dogs to needy puppies at seeing his face.

"Gents meet the family guard dogs, Flotsam, Jetsam, Lagan and Derelict, dogs meet the crew," Jack said as though introducing people. His crew smiled and Ragetti nervously shuffled over to the dogs. At first they didn't seem too happy but Jack tapped the dog's noses and the animals playfully licked the man's hand.

"'E likes me," Ragetti smiled as the dog barked happily.

Jack stood slowly, mindful of his still aching back and tender shoulder to glance with well hidden nervousness at the foyer of the old house. It still bore the damage of the many fights it had been witness to and cracked mirrors hung from the scarred walls. Ageing paintings were precariously nailed to the walls as well and the ceiling, once beautifully finished was pealing like the door frames and the furniture was faded and worn.

All of this created a welcoming, if not haunting atmosphere illuminated by dozens of candles and lanterns on the tables and hung on the walls.

Jack walked slowly toward the door opposite the front door and opened it, his crew followed him into another dark, decaying room with a large stone fireplace lit on the far wall and more old paintings on the walls. There were dozens of chairs scattered around the fire with tables, untidy bookcases, old trunks, a standing piano, globes and all sorts of nautical equipment scattered around the room.

But there were also people sitting around the room, an ageing, tanned man in a red coat with a guitar, and an even older woman with a permenantly disapproving expression on her face. Both occupants of the room turned towards the open door and the new faces staring back at them.


	5. A Matter of Family Part 1

**A Pirate's Life 4: The Sparrow's Nest**

Chapter 4: A Matter of Family Part 1

* * *

Jack and his crew stared across at the two occupants of the room, one of which had made his childhood a living hell and the other had changed from helping him and hindering him.

His grandmother, typically called 'grandmama' had nearly beat him to death three times. She was an old woman of unknown age with wrinkled skin like a living, talking, severely tanned prune. Her faded red bandana was tied over her thick, grey curls, the dull colour of which only served to enhance her dark eyes.

Those eyes seemed to run in the family. She was wearing an old dress of dark blue with fraying lace sleeves and a dark girdle, and her fingers were bejewelled with elaborate rings of priceless gold.

The man sitting on the opposite side of the fireplace was her son, captain Teague. The man had certainly passed his looks onto his son, as it was clear that many years ago he was once handsome too. His eyes were still deep and dark, set in his dark face framed by his long hair. Like Jack's his was braided into long dreadlocks with beads, jewels and two small crosses hanging in it. He too wore rings on his fingers, he had elaborate lace sleeves and he sat gently strumming his faithful guitar.

"'Ello, dad," Jack said.

"'Ello, Jackie," the man replied as he looked over at his son with a small smile on his face.

"'Ello indeed! Have a face full o' me knife ye jelly boned thumb, suckin' crud bucket!" the old woman yelled back and hurled a knife from her girdle at her old grandson. Jack managed to duck and the knife embedded itself in the door rather than his head.

"Missed me?" Jack smirked, "I'm touched," he and his crew came further into the room and after Teague waved his hand for them to take a seat they did so. Jack, leaving the door open, took the seat closest to his father's and his crew sat around close to him.

"Go dance the hempen jig, yer no good bilge-rat!" she replied with anger, her face going red with frustration.

"Go pose in front o' the mirror some more ye duck-knee'd, dung munchin' crap sack!" Jack replied with a look of frustration. Her vanity was always the thing he insulted most due to her frequent boasts of being the 'youngest and most prettiest Pirate Lord'.

His frustration and anger quickly increased, since he'd only just got in the house and she was starting on him already! The only thing she'd ever taught him was how to create colourful insults on the spot.

Jack leaned back into his chair and as covertly as he could he massaged his right shoulder to try and ease the tension out of it. This of course was noticed by Gibbs, Anamaria and his father who shared a quick glance but said nothing. The captain removed his tri-corner hat and balanced it on the arm of his chair and stared into the fire.

The pirate lord of the Caribbean sea was ignorant of all discussion that took place around him now. He was tired and aching and now he had his murderous grandmama to worry about; he would have to sleep with one eye open while he was here. And where were the rest of the family? The small cave that the 'Pearl' now reaided in wasn't really big enough to old anymore large ships, so they'd have to dock elsewhere. That cave was reserved for Teague and his son alone. Were they here already...

But his reverie was quickly interrupted by a young whirlwind that ran across to him and jumped onto his lap. Jack repressed a quiet yell of surprise as he looked at the small, clearly excited boy now sitting on his lap.

"Don't do tha," Jack muttered as he sighed in relief. The young boy clearly found him more comfortable than one of the chairs as he stared up at Jack with a smile.

"Hello, captain," young Will smiled.

"Now wha're you doin' 'ere?"Jack asked him as the boy picked up his hat. Will seemed to hesitate in putting it on but the captain nodded to him and the boy smile back as he lowered the hat onto his small head.

"Mother said we needed to leave England and we came here a few weeks ago," Will answered. Jack pondered this for a moment, and wondered why they'd needed to leave England, he'd have to ask Elizabeth later.

"An' where is yer mother?" he asked the boy.

"Sleeping," Will replied as he quickly took one of Jack's guns from his belts. He examined the beautiful pistol when the captain noticed this he quickly took it back.

Will shot him a disappointed look and sighed, "Mother won't teach me to shoot, neither will father...will you?"

"Ay?" Jack frowned in confusion.

"Mother said once that you were a good shot, so that means you can teach me, right?" The boy said and Jack heard Gibbs and Ana snicker quietly to themselves, he ignored them however.

"Yer mam said tha'?" Jack said still confused but shook his head remembering that Elizabeth was willing to burn rum to serve her own agenda. Who knew what she'd do to him if she found out he was being a bad influence on her only son. And he didn't really want an angry Will the second on his tail with the 'Dutchman' either.

"Yes...please...please, please, please!" Will begged.

"You ask yer mam, an' if she promises not ter burn the rum again, then I'll teach yer," Jack replied, waving a dismissive hand at the boy's look of confusion. But then Will only heard the promise of being able to shoot guns and ran off with a happy smile.

Jack shook his head and sighed, he was going soft, it didn't do for pirate captains to go soft like that. He glanced over at his father who was looking back at him with a strange expression, "Wha'?" he demanded of the man. But Teague shook his head and turned back to his guitar. "Who else yer asked 'ome, then?" Jack asked.

"Wait an' see, Jackie," the man replied enigmatically without looking up. It was then that Jack noticed the numerous bottles of wine and rum laid out on the table, so he took one for himself and his crew soon followed.

"They 'ere already?" he asked and the man nodded.

With the exception of the odd insult from the old woman the room was quiet and restful..until the four black dogs raced though the room, knocking over furniture as they chased after a mass of brown fur. "Monkey!" Jack exclaimed and pulled out a pistol.

He quickly shot at it but missed since it was moving so quickly; it had climbed the long, ragged curtains and was balancing on the broken chandelier away from the dogs who were barking angrilly up at it.

"Bu'...tha's..." Ragetti muttered and nudged his uncle as he pointed up at the monkey.

"Jack, yer blasted primate!" a deep, gravely voice called out as a man entered the room. He was tall with scraggly grey hair and a thin beard, and wore black clothes and boots.

Jack only stared in a mix of anger and confusion, "Wha' the hell's 'e doin' here?" he demanded as he pointed his gun at Barbossa.

"'E be my guest," the old woman smiled, "Yer know how much I likes him, why'd yer ever shoot him anyway, boy?"

"WHA'?" Jack exclaimed and stood quickly from his chair. "Tha's it!" he called and tossed aside his now unloaded gun, he pulled out his hanger sword and raised it in anger. He charged at Barbossa, ignoring his wound, and the man just barely managed to use his cutlass to defend himself.

"Now, Jack, didn't yer pa ever teach yer not ter play in th' house?" the older man grinned as they both held their blades against the other. "'S bad manners," he added.

"No' against unwelcome, low life scum!" Jack replied, "An' certainly no' wif backstabbin', code breakin' dead men!"

"Surely we be past all tha' now," Barbossa feigned insult.

Jack only scoffed as the older captain's sword broke free of their stalemate and swung across his chest. He managed to avoid being hit and parried another blow headed for his arm, but his right shoulder was weak and so was his attack.

"...Shiver Me Timbers...*squark*..." Cotton's parrot exclaimed as it ruffled its colourful plumage.

"Yer steal me ship, leave me ter die, and yer name yer ruddy monkey after me!" Jack said with venom as he attacked again. "We ain't past nofin till yer dead an' buried again, Hector!"

They had been moving carefully around the scattered furniture and the objects knocked over by the dogs, and Jack was stepping over the dogs themselves as the fight intensified. But he was beginning to feel the pressure mounting in his shoulder, it had been a bad idea to fight so soon, but the man was just asking for a fight by being here!

"Jack...Barbossa?" Elizabeth uttered as she came into the room with her son by her side. Both men turned to face the woman and the boy standing in the doorway and froze with their blades poised to attack again.

"Yer maj'," Jack said, giving a quick salute. Then he quickly acted and shoved Barbossa over a fallen table, the an dropped his sword and landed with a loud 'thud'. "...Not past nofin...bu' we're gettin' there," Jack muttered to Barbossa smugly, then sheathed his sword.

His crew had been watching with excited looks as they drank their rum and they were rather disappointed that the fight had finished so soon. Gibbs was laughing at the fallen Pirate Lord as he picked himself up from the ground. He chuckled into the neck of his bottle as Anamaria slapped his shoulder. She had no right to judge; she was stifling a laugh too.

Barbossa only scoffed as his monkey jumped onto his shoulder and he stormed out of the room. Jack quickly recovered from the hateful glare the man shot his way and also went to leave.

"Jack, where are you going?" Elizabeth asked him.

"Me ship, I ant leavin' her while 'e's 'ere," Jack replied and went to walk past her and out the door.

"The 'Pearl' is safe, Jack, there should be men guarding her and Barbossa has no reason to steal it again," Elizabeth said, blocking the doorway.

"Tha' ain't gonna stop him..."

"Jack, I can station more men on the 'Pearl' if you want, she'll be perfectly safe," she added, "And we're docked on the other side of the island, captain Teague said you would dock in a cave with the 'Troubadour'."

"Aye," Teague nodded simply and played a soothing melody on his guitar.

It wasn't that Jack didn't trust his father, in fact he was the only one he did trust- with the possible exception of Gibbs and Ana to an extent, it was just that he valued his ship so much. And if Barbossa got the drop on him because he'd chosen to misplace his trust again he wasn't sure if he'd survive losing the 'Pearl' again.

"How many more?" Jack asked her.

"As many as you like," she said. And for once Elizabeth was surprised to see that he ignored the opportunity to imply his usual innuendo or double entendres. Clearly he was speaking seriously, and she didn't blame him one bit, his love for the 'Pearl' was as legendary as the ship itself.

"Gibbs," Jack called, "Yer know wha' ter do. Go deal with it, come back when yer done."

"Aye, cap'n," the man nodded and left the room with Elizabeth.

Jack sighed heavily; now he was in a house with his grandmother, possibly a handful of his other relatives, Elizabeth and Barbossa...forget sleeping with one eye open...he wouldn't be able to sleep at all! He took his bottle of rum from the table once more and made to leave the room, his aching muscles slowing his progress now the adrenaline had lost its affect.

"Night all," he muttered with as much sarcasm as he could muster and headed for his old room, trying to forget that he was now sharing his old home with some of the people who hated him most.

Just why exactly, did he get himself into these things?

* * *

A.N. Now I would like to point out for people actually reading this that in the website on my profile there is a section about 'grandmama' and it does say she did beat dear old Jack. It also says that after he ran away and found Barbossa and his new crew, Teague came after him and brought them all to the manor, and then the old woman flirted with Barbossa! Funny, huh?


	6. A Matter of Family Part 2

**A Pirate's Life 4: The Sparrow's Nest**

Chapter 5: A Matter of Family Part 2

* * *

Jack awoke once more to sun light streaming through the open windows and the cool breeze on his face. He slowly and carefully moved his arm to get its limits and was disappointed to feel that it still hurt like hell. How much longer was the damned thing going to take to heal? He couldn't afford to have any weaknesses in this house, not with all the addled people he was sharing the building with.

Having not taken the time to observe the room last night in the dark he did so now from the comfort of his bed.

Everything was as he remembered it; the faded walls and the old furniture, the old books he kept on even older shelves and maps of the world he used to pour over as a boy were still littered over the floor. No one had been in here for years...since he left in fact, they never did have people to clean up.

They'd kept few servants when he was a child and they had been mainly protesters and drunks from the town of Shipwreck who had spent more time 'working' than actually working. However now it seemed there were none at all. The house was even more unkept and dirty then he remembered, and as for personal hygiene he assumed that the arrangements, such as they were, remained unchanged.

Baths had been taken in the freshwater river behind the house whenever the men and women decided they smelt so bad that it would affect their looks rather than their hygiene. For the family members were all proud of their appearances to some extent, and the with the river being so close to the house it meant not having to drag heavy water buckets though the house. And this of course made washing more frequent than had it not been there at all.

Unusually Jack decided that a good swim in the river could help his aching body, so he took up his weapons and left for said river. He was with his family after all - weapons were a necessity for self preservation in this place.

He pulled on his boots and, still wearing his clothes he finished fixing his belts and made his way out of the house. Jack walked slowly past the trees and overgrown plants, pushing giant leaves aside with his sword. It was quiet as ever except for the sounds of birds waking up, he heard only the rushing sound from the river water ahead.

Once he got close he saw something nailed to a tree that made him stop dead. It was nothing sinister or vile, it was an old piece of wood carved into a simple square and hung from the bark by string and a single iron nail. On it the words; 'PROCEED ON PAIN OF DEETH' (*1) were carved in crude, fading letters. And he remembered that on the other side it said 'YE MAY ENTER' in the same style.

It was an old joke of his mothers', she used to fire her pistol at anyone who came close to the river bed where she'd bathe every few days; she had been a stickler for cleanliness. And for some reason people had carried on using it, when Jack used to ignore it as a child his grandmama would hurl swords, never mind knives or bullets at him. And one time she'd actually come close to impaling him, from then on he'd never ignored that sign again.

So out of old habit he took up residence against the old tree facing away from the river, he leaned his back against it and stared out at the old house that he could see in the distance. He rested his head against the trunk of the tree and breathed in the cool morning air.

Bored, Jack took to cleaning his pistol out; he took out the gun from his belts and used his sash to clean the different part out. He paused in his task to remove his sword from his sheath and dug it into the ground beside him so that it was standing upright, then turned back to his gun.

He was so absorbed in his task that when a woman came to stand beside him he didn't even notice. He finished cleaning the pistol and loaded a bullet, then aimed it ahead but didn't fire.

"Jack?" the woman said and he jumped. Turning his aim towards the woman before he looked, thinking it was a threat he turned immediately to defence.

"'Lizabeth?" Jack frowned over his gun. He didn't lower it straight away as experience taught him that she was a threat; she'd left him for the Kraken for god's sake after he'd chosen to go back and do the right thing. If that was the thanks he got for trying to be the good man he'd stick to being a bloody scallywag any day.

"What're you doing here?" she asked him quietly, wary of the loaded gun pointed right between her eyes. She was wearing one of her long oriental dresses and it was damp from the water, her long hair was also wet and silently was dripping water onto the ground.

"Might surprise yer to learn that pirates 'ave a sense o' hygiene after all," he smirked and lowered his gun but kept his eyes on her. He was never a fan of sneak attacks unless he was the one doing the sneaking.

Although the truth was he wasn't bothered about a bath, he just wanted to be in the water. The water always calmed him down and he would be in need of that if he were to be living here for a while. It was a disaster waiting to happen getting his family together like this, but his father had always enjoyed making them squirm a little.

"Really?" she asked with a small smile. "Teague told me about that," she added looking at the crude wooden sign, "He said his wife put it there."

"Did 'e now?" Jack muttered and now stood up and took his sword from the ground.

"He did," she nodded and looked carefully at the man beside her. "Will told me he wants you to teach him to shoot, and he said you agreed."

"No, I said if you didn't burn me rum again, then I'd think about it," Jack corrected.

"Jack..."

"Kid's got a pirate fer his mam and his dad, yer better get used ter him being a pirate too," he told her. He knew what she was thinking, Bootstrap had done the same. What with his wife an ex-pirate and him a lifelong pirate their son was bound to turn to the lifestyle eventually no matter how hard his mother had fought to keep it from him.

She only sighed as she watched him turn his back and walk off towards the river. Elizabeth wasn't sure exactly how Jack had known what she was thinking but she knew he was right. But with piracy dying out, life would be difficult for her son as he grew up, if he did indeed choose to follow in their footsteps.

And it was becoming ever more likely as she watched the boy grow from 4 months to 4 years to 5 and soon he would be 6 years old. She sighed again and made her way back to the house.

She and her son had been forced to leave England, the country of her origin because of the lifestyle she'd chosen. She no longer had her father's authority and social standing to use as a shield, nor had she Norrington's protection either, and she didn't want her son to be landed in jail...or hanged.

They had been tracked down in London by the king's men and she'd fled back to Plymouth, stowing away on a merchant ship. But the ship had been raided before it docked at Cape Town in south Africa. Fortunately the pirates had recognised her and had given them safe passage to the cove without asking their King questions.

Things could have been far worse and Teague had allowed them to stay in his manor since they'd arrived several months ago. The captain was a good man like his son, and had...perhaps not welcomed them into his home, but he hadn't tried to kill her as she had feared. Young Will seemed to idolise the man as much as he did Jack and he'd never want to leave the place with both generations of pirates here.

She came back into the house and saw that the family of said pirates were already awake and were now storming about the house with weapons.

People she had come to know in the few weeks they had been here included, a man called 'Ace' Brannigan. Her son loved this captain and she had found that he resembled an old uncle she had once had. 'Ace' had short grey hair and the same dark eyes as Jack, he wore flamboyant clothes and was quiet and reserved. She had been told by Teague that as children, Jack and his cousins had 'ganged up' on the man.

"Quick Draw" McFleming was Jack's second aunt who, she had seen frequently threw rum tankards at 'grandmama.' She was a kind enough woman with children who apparently had never got on well with Jack.

One of which was a pirate captain called Valerie, she was a little older than Jack himself was and she was just as tough. Although she didn't exhibit the same kind of mental instability as Jack she was known for being a little wild. The woman was clearly respected in the family and her ship the 'Doubloon' was a heavily armed and well defended fortress of a ship.

Finally there was Mabeltrude, who had been nicknamed the 'Violent Visionary' by Jack and wore long, flowing shawls and sashes. Her long wild, black hair flowed freely down her back and apparently she was a cousin of 'grandmama's'. She believed she had the sight and Elizabeth had been told by Teague that she had once predicted that a young Jack would nearly burn down grandmama's ship and he was locked in the brig.

Oh, yes, Elizabeth had discovered that every individual in Jack's whole family had their own eccentricities and odd behaviour patterns. But perhaps that was what enabled them to survive in their 'profession'.

"Give over, yer damned harridan!" Jack's voice suddenly echoed through the house via the open doors and windows. Quickly everyone gathered outside to see him with his old hanger sword in hand, which he preferred to the popular cutlass of other pirates. He had, by the looks of things, just been in the river since his hair was dripping wet and his face was devoid of kohl. It looked as though he had thrown on his clothes quickly and his shirt hung loosely over his, toned yet elegant frame.

Jack was standing opposite captain Valerie who looked amused and irritated at the same time as she stood with her cutlass.

"Mother 'o mercy," Gibbs muttered, he too sounded as though he were caught between aiding his captain and laughing at the man.

"What?" Elizabeth asked him as her son moved informs of her to better observe the two pirate captains.

"Jack an' his cousin don' right get on, miss, whenever they..." Gibbs began but Valerie shouted over him.

"Sparrow, come 'ere an' have a cutlass sandwich yer jumped up, grass combin' chunk o' bat spit!" she yelled as she pulled out her cutlass. Young Will evidently found the whole thing thrilling and smiled eagerly at the two pirates

Barbossa came out of the house with his monkey on his shoulder and watched in amusement, he remembered the woman Valerie well and since she was picking a fight with Jack, he hoped she'd win. He came to lean against the wall and was joined by Jack's crew, Elizabeth and her son who had stayed at the house.

"Who'd yer think'll win?" Ragettia asked his uncle.

"Ten on the woman," Pintel replied.

"Jack," Will said and his mother tapped him on the head scoldingly for participating in gambling.

"I say Jack'll win," Gibbs said and Anamaria nodded, if only out of loyalty to her captain rather than faith in his fighting skills.

"Does this family always fight?" Will asked and Gibbs and Barbossa nodded with similar smiles and turned back to the fight.

"...yer syphilitic puppy killin' slimey bastitch!" Jack shouted, and parried the first of her attacks.

"Yer know 'ow this ends, Jackie, but lemme spell out the rules o' this game fer yer I win. YOU LOSE! yer bug brained back bitin' bile bag!"

"Aye, it's all great fun 'til somebody loses an eye! yer grog faced gold stealin' stink on legs!" he shouted back.

"Yer know I'm the better pirate!" she laughed.

"You?" Jack asked, insulted.

"Aye, me, 's'bout time yer finally admitted it!"

"You?" Jack repeated incredulously

"No need ter be awe struck, boy," Val smiled and attacked her younger cousin again. "I been sailin' the seas a pirate's life when you was off playin' good little sailor fer his majesty!"

"I got me a better ship!"

"My 'Doubloon'd' blow the 'Pearl' outta the water fer breakfast!"

"You wish!"

"I know! Only a month ago we sank us a Spanish fleet fer fun!" she smirked at him.

"'Ave yer ever sailed wif Jaundy Yellowbeard himself, 'cos I did!" Jack shouted which caused many confused looks from the onlookers but skeptical looks from his family.

"I sailed through Japan wif Samurais on us!" Val retailed quickly.

"Played Goe wif the Emperor while runnin' from 'em!"

"Tha's a Chinese game!" she laughed.

"He was more fun back then!" Jack insisted with a serious look on his face.

"Sailin' with zombies!" she shouted as she resumed their game.

"Mutinous, backstabbin', traitorous ex-first mates wha' just won't die," Jack said pointing his sword at Barbossa who snorted, "Wif scraggy beards and daft hats!" he added which gained a death glare from said man.

"Slimy sea serpents!" she shot back after grinning at Barbossa.

"Killer mermaids!" Jack said as he blocked another attack from his cousin that just about missed hs face.

"Attacked by giant Luscas in the Bahamas!"

"Livin' wif cannibal tribes!" Jack smirked.

"Nearly been eaten by cannibal tribes," she added.

"Made me the chief," Jack added smugly.

"Must a' been starvin' then!" Val replied, "Ter wanna eat you, yer scrawny git!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!" Jack repeated, looking insulted.

"Top this, then cousin; me an' me crew against a hundred trained Chinese ninjas in the centre o' the Forbidden City with a sinkin' ship in the dock, no weapons and no way out!"

"No worries, mate," Jack grinned, "Undead pirates, navy men an' me on me onesies wif no ship."

"Screaming banshees in the middle o' the sea!"

"Cursed Aztec gold!"

"Seen the green flash, twice!"

"Made it happen!" Jack smiled.

"Killer Pigmies in Hawaii!"

"The Black Spot...and Davy Jones' thump thump!" Jack's hand came to rest over his own heart as he made a beating gesture to indicate the heart.

"Seen screamin' formorian spirits in English woods an' lived!"

"Swallowed by th' Kraken!"

"...Met...the...Titan mother of Calypso!"

"Well I...really?" Jack questioned, their game forgotten as he glanced at her curiously.

"No!" she smiled and the two burst out laughing.

It appeared that their fight was over...until Valerie swung her blade at Jack again and the sword fight ensued again. They swung their swords at each other with such force that Elizabeth and young Will were convinced that they were trying to kill one another.

Soon the two were dancing around trees and plants, at one time Jack even pulled back a thin branch and let it hit her in the face, of course this only made her angrier. But the fight came to a haunt when a loud old voice shouted from the front door of the manor, "Stow it, the both 'o yer!"

"Grandmam..." Val began and at the same time Jack shouted; "But she..."

"Stow it!" she shouted and hurled another knife at Jack. He ducked out of the way again and it landed in the truck of a tree.

"Why'd yer always chuck 'em at me?" he shouted and the others laughed quietly.

"I SAID STOW IT! OR I'LL 'AVE YER KEELHAULED A'FORE YER CAN SAY 'CAST OFF'!" the old woman shouted and even the trees seemed to quake in fear. Jack and Val glared daggers at each other but reluctantly they both put away their swords and stormed off in opposite directions.

"...So...who won?" Ragetti asked the group around him, confused.

* * *

(*1) DEETH is misspelt deliberately by the way people - it's the middle English spelling of 'death' used by Chaucer and other Medieval authors.

* * *

A.N. I read online somewhere as a back story for Calypso that her mother was Atlas the Greek goddess of silence, in case you were wondering why I mentioned it earlier. I just thought it be cool to add it in here.


	7. A Matter of Family Part 3

**A Pirate's Life 4: The Sparrow's Nest**

Chapter 6: A Matter of Family Part 3

* * *

Jack reloaded his pistol as he fired another bullet at the bottle he was currently aiming at. As a boy he'd taught himself to shoot while on ships, he'd throw bottles overboard and shoot at them, empty bottles of course. But now he was drinking rum with one hand and shooting with the other, but which his right shoulder still sore it was difficult. And of course he'd been pushing his luck fighting Barbossa and Val.

He swore under his breath as he missed the bottle yet again, and he loaded the pistol again. Jack put down his rum bottle and held the pistols with both hands too steady his aim.

After their little fight he'd gone back to the house to grab some food...since he hadn't eaten in days with being unconscious and all, but he could go days without food. He had before. And he'd left the kitchen with fruit and stale bread, not the best food but no one in the family had ever bothered to cook a gourmet meal.

Jack picked up the last of the stale bread from where he'd left it on the ground on top of his coat which he'd retrieved from his room. Perhaps eating only fruit and stale bread after not eating for two days was bad for his health but he'd survived worse than a little starvation. He brushed off his hands, put away his gun then put on his coat with a little difficulty and walked off towards the cave.

With Barbossa on the prowl Jack wasn't going far from his ship, but he soon was relieved to see that the 'Pearl' was still moored beside the 'Troubadour'. He hovered at the edge of the cave, hidden from the men on board both ships. It seemed that men from different crews; Teague's, his and Elizabeth's, were taking turns guarding the ships.

He stared across at his ship with a contented expression before turning away and walking quickly through the tunnel as his thoughts turned to his family again. Jack wasn't sure of the exact date but he knew it was late December...or at least he thought it was. So if his father had planned some big celebration then it would be soon and then he could get back to the 'Pearl' and be on his way.

He walked back up to the house to see 'Quick Draw' and 'Ace' riding side by side on two beautiful horses, one black and the other light brown. Both were talking quietly to the other, and when they saw Jack they smiled and waved to him.

"Ahoy there, Jack!" 'Ace' shouted and doffed his hat, "Quite a get-together yer old man planned, ay?"

Jack and the two riders drew closer together and he smiled, these two people he was a little happy to see. Unlike his cousin or Barbossa, or even his grandmother they, generally didn't try to kill him every five minutes.

"'S 'e plannin' a shindig, or something?" 'Quick Draw', his aunt asked him and he shrugged.

"Ain't got a clue," he replied.

"There's still horses in't stables, go saddle up and catch up with us," his uncle said with a smile and Jack nodded. It wasn't like there was much else to do anyway. So he made his way to the stables that were still falling apart with creaking hinges and broken windows. There had always been horses here for as long as he could remember, even now there were still at least 10 of them.

Jack chose the largest black stallion, saddled it with ease and rode quickly out of the building. He quickly found his aunt and uncle and rode over to them, despite not riding as often as he used to it was not a skill that one forgot and he found the chance to ride across the island a refreshing change.

He talked with his two relatives of some of his recent adventures and they in turn told him of theirs. They mourned the dying age of pirates and still joked about the crown never being able to hold down any of the family for long. They laughed at 'Quick Draw' throwing more tankards at grandmama and encouraged her to throw even more.

But soon he found that he wanted to be alone and he rode across the beach around midday watching the waves lap against the pristine sand. He had left his aunt and uncle on the other side of the island and had been riding for at least an hour by himself now. He rode the horse 'Nebuchadnezzar' across the beach where the sand met the sea, he jumped over the waves which splashed up against his boots and trousers.

The heat though was wearing the horse out fast so Jack tethered him under some shade and wandered a little further along the beach himself. He pulled off his coat and hat then collapsed on a heap on the sand. He set aside his rum bottle that he had somehow managed to keep undamaged all morning in his pocket and removed his boots. Then he laid aside his sword and pistols and took up the rum with a contented smile.

Far away from the Brethren Court, the island wasn't half as imposing or threatening. It was like any other Caribbean island with its palm trees and the beautiful beach stretching for miles. After he was marooned Jack thought he'd never want to see another beach again, but they were rather common in the Caribbean so he'd had to ignore his hatred for them. And he did have to acknowledge their beauty.

Jack stared out at the ocean and could have sworn that he saw one of the small, white crabs that he'd seen in the Locker. The ones that looked like rocks and tasted vile...but as soon as it had come it vanished back into the water...maybe he'd imagined it.

He went back to lying on the sand and drinking his rum as he looked up at the sky. Gently he touched his tender shoulder and tried massaging the aches from it, but it didn't help all that much.

The cool breeze was comforting and he must have dozed off at some point because when he observed the sky again it was darker and the sun had moved across the horizon. Jack picked up his effects and rode the horse slowly across the beach then once again led the horse under the shade as he climbed over rocks and into a small hole.

He doubted anyone would find him here if they hadn't already seen him on the beach; it was a cave he had found and hid in as a boy, granted it wasn't as easy now he had grown but once he got through the tunnel the cave opened out. His other rum bottle was empty and as a boy he'd hidden other bottles here. He just couldn't remember if he'd left any full or not.

After searching under every rock and in every crack in the walls he discovered that even as a boy he'd drank all the rum. He cursed his younger self and decided that he'd be best getting back to the house for food and rum. It didn't take long before he was leaving the horse in the stables. He then walked into the house and saw that everyone was sitting or standing in the large foyer.

"Where yer been, boy?" his father asked him and for once on seeing his his grandmother didn't throw anything at him which he found strange. He looked around the room and saw his aunt and uncle, Mabeltrude the 'violent visionary', his cousin Valerie, Barbossa, his crew and Elizabeth and her son.

And all were wearing coats and holding bottles, and Jack looked on slightly apprehensive. Either this was going to end very badly in real life or he was dreaming; most of these people did not stand in the same room without attempting to kill him. So what was his father up to?


	8. The Celebration

**A Pirate's Life 4: The Sparrow's Nest**

Chapter 7: The Celebration

* * *

"'S this for?" Jack asked his father as the man handed him an unopened bottle of rum. He was still glancing round warily at the men and women in the room who still hadn't made a move to throw pointy objects at him or try and shoot him.

...Something strange was definitely happening.

"Few hours till new year," the man said and glanced at an old clock on the dusty mantle.

Jack tilted his head wondering how he'd spent so much time asleep on the beach but it seemed to have helped him feel better after the storm. It had also been lucky that he'd made it just in time for the new year by arriving yesterday. He suspected that he'd had a little help from a certain sea godess, perhaps the storm hadn't set them of course after all...

He also remembered something from his childhood, as an old tradition where they'd have a celebration with rum, good food and women, lots and lots of women from the town, but he'd only ever been to the party once before he'd left. "Oh..." he muttered, "Why this year?" but the man only shrugged in reply.

He lead them down to the ships and told Jack to ready the 'Pearl' and to make for open sea. Teague ignored his son's questioning and eventually Jack relented and did as the man said.

"Weigh anchor, yer dogs!" Jack shouted with a grin. He loved shouting orders at his crew on his ship. They made for open waters through the waterfall and then dropped anchor on Teague's orders away from the shore.

Young Will and Elizabeth watched on the deck of the 'Pearl' as four other huge ships joined them in the sea. The 'Doubloon' for captain Valerie with Barbossa's 'Neptune' not far behind, then grandmama's old ship the 'Harlot', with the ships of 'Quick Draw' and 'Ace' as well. It was an inspiring display of the grandure of a dying age of piracy.

The colossal ships came from behind the cove and soon all the ships were moored close together, close enough to shout across to people on the nearby ship.

It was getting increasingly darker and each ship began lighting lanterns as Jack and his crew waited in the gathering shadows. Soon they felt their ships jostle in the water as it rippled violently, and they ran across to the starboard rails to see a flag emerge from the water.

Everyone watched in awe as the main mast of the 'Flying Dutchman' quickly emerged from the depths and soon the grand ship was floating with gushing fountains of water streaming off her deck.

"Father!" Young Will shouted and smiled across at the ship. Jack glanced across at his own fathers' ship and saluted the man at the helm with a grin.

"Lower the plank!" Jack shouted and a gangplank was readied as the 'Dutchman' came to rest beside the 'Pearl'. The small boy ran cross to his fathers' open arms as Elizabeth followed him happily.

For a while the crews swung across to the other ships and drank, gambled and drunk some more. Stories were told and sea chanties were sung loudly and very off key, but fun was had by all.

Jack swung across to the 'Dutchman' and smiled at Bootstrap, "Yer look better without all the..." Jack said and motioned to the clear face of his friend that had once been covered with barnacles. He shook hands with his old friend and they talked of old times. Old adventures before the mutiny, of mermaids and magic swords and of heathen gods.

Jack was as warmly greeted by Will who thanked him for -occasionally- looking out for his son and told him of his adventures between the worlds.

"When I got the message from your father I thought he was pulling my leg," Will the second, captain of the 'Dutchman' laughed. "He had it delivered to me by a crab!"

"A white one?" Jack asked seriously and Will nodded curiously, "I knew it!" Jack muttered but waved a dismissive hand at the other captain. They talked well into the night but they heard a shot fired from Teague's ship and they all whipped their heads over to his ship.

The flamboyant captain was pointing his pistol into the sky and stared across at his son on the 'Dutchman'. Jack smiled as he began to hear the man's crew begin counting down from 10. Young Will joined in and smiled as he saw everyone smiling and drinking.

"Nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...one..." they shouted and then every ship let of a volley of bullets and people tossed their hats into the air. Bottles were tossed as well and alcohol was sprayed onto the decks.

Jack made his way onto his father's ship and saw the man sitting against the steps and playing his guitar. He recognised the slow tune as one from his childhood, it had been one of his mother's favourites, his father had written it for her...or he used to say he had. Jack had believed Sam as a child, but perhaps the man had plagiarised...they were pirates after all.

He sat beside his father and the two knocked their rum bottles together in a toast to the new year. Now words were exchanged but none were needed. Instead they watched in comfortable silence as the crew of the 'Troubadour' and beside her, the 'Pearl'l continued laughing and drinking well into the morning.

Perhaps the golden age of piracy was over, and their way of life was dying out, but every one of them that night vowed to keep it alive however they could.


End file.
